Serial concatenated decoding typically involves two decoders connected in series. The first decoder is typically called the inner decoder and the second decoder is called the outer decoder. Serial concatenated decoding lends itself to many uses. One example is recovering information bits from a code word.
In a more specific example, the digital video broadcast terrestrial standard uses serial concatenated encoding at the transmitter. The transmitter includes a non-binary block code (e.g., a Reed-Solomon (RS) code) followed by a punctured convolution code (often referred to as forward error correction). In order to view the broadcast, the receiver uses serial concatenated decoding. A typical implementation uses a Viterbi decoder as the inner decoder and a Reed-Solomon decoder as the outer decoder.
In some instances, a set-box or television includes the receiver functionality. However, other manufactures are developing integrated circuits that can transform a personal computer into a dvb-t receiver. For example, a consumer can purchase a USB attachable receiver that allows the consumer to receive and view terrestrial broadcasts on their personal computer.
In such a device, the processor of the personal computer is often leveraged to provide certain receiver functionality. For example, the processor of the personal computer can be used to provide some or all of the decoding operations. As result, the availability of the processor of the personal computer for performing other tasks is adversely impacted.